Peter laughed at poor Ray the whole way back to the university. "'Get her.' That was your whole plan? 'Get her?' Yeah, very scientific."
Ray, however, seemed unabashed by the insults. "I just got overexcited. But wasn't it incredible, Pete?" he asked, his voice unable to mask his enthusiasm. "We actually touched the etheric plane. You know what this could mean to the university?"
"Yeah, it's gonna be bigger than the microchip," sighed Peter dully. "Ray, I'm very excited."
Jennifer rolled her eyes. "Well I think it's awesome."
"I wouldn't say the experience was completely wasted," said Egon coming up behind the three of them. "According to these new readings, I think we have an excellent chance of actually catching a ghost and holding it indefinitely."
"Well this is great!" exclaimed Ray. "If the ionization rate is constant for all ectoplasmic entities, we could really bust some heads!"
"In a spiritual sense, of course," added Jennifer.
"Spengs," said Peter, breaking up the excited jabber. "You serious about this catching ghosts?"
"I'm always serious," was Egon's flat reply.
"That he is," nodded Jennifer.
Peter ignored her and gave Egon a sincere gaze as he reached into his pocket. "Egon, I'm gonna take back some of the things I said about you." At these words, he pulled a Nestle Crunch bar out his pocket and held it out to the scientist. "You-you've earned it."
As Egon reached out and took the candy bar, Ray and Jennifer grinned at each other.
"The possibilities are limitless," Ray babbled as the four of them walked into the parapsychology lab. As they did so, Jennifer noted that the room was full of men moving the equipment out. And leaning on one of the desks was a man that Jennifer had seen many times around campus. Ray noticed him too and greeted him cheerfully. "Hey, Dean Yeager!"
Egon and Jennifer shared a worried look. They both had a bad feeling. What was the Dean doing here? And why were these men moving their stuff?
Peter studied the moving men and grinned. "I trust you're moving us to better quarters on campus," he said to Yeager.
"No, you're being moved off campus," the Dean corrected, with a hint of a smirk on his face, as if he'd been longing to fire the three for a very long time. "The Board of Regents had decided to terminate your grant and you are to vacate these premises immediately."
Jennifer gasped in horror. Ray and Egon looked crushed and confused. The friendly smile evaporated from Peter's face. "This is preposterous," he said in a more businesslike tone. "I demand an explanation."
"Fine," said Yeager importantly. "This university will no longer continue any funding of any kind for your group's activities."
"But the kids love us," Peter protested. He turned to Jennifer for confirmation. Jennifer nodded emphatically. Peter looked back at Dean Yeager. "See?"
The Dean sighed. "Dr. Venkman…we believe the purpose of science is to serve mankind. You, however, seem to regard science as some kind of dodge, or hustle. Your theories are the worst kind of popular tripe, your methods are sloppy, and your conclusions are highly questionable. You are a poor scientist, Doctor Venkman."
Peter nodded morosely. "I see."
"You have no place in this department," Yeager continued, "or in this university."
The moving men confiscated the last of the equipment from Egon and Ray's hands, and walked out. The Dean started to follow them, but then he stopped and looked at Jennifer. "And young lady," he added. "It is not my place to tell you who to associate with. But if you wish to make progress in this world, I highly suggest you not do so with shady characters such as these men."
Jennifer gave Dean Yeager a respectfully indignant look as she put her arms around Egon and Ray's shoulders, as a symbol of their undying camaraderie. Yeager shrugged and walked out, leaving them all with a feeling of rejection.
"This is a major disgrace," said Ray glumly, as he, Peter, and Jennifer sat dejectedly on the steps of the Weaver Hall building. "Forget MIT or Stamford now. They wouldn't touch us with a ten meter cattle prod."
"I just can't believe they would fire you guys," said Jennifer, still shocked. "It's just not fair."
Ray sighed. "Life isn't fair sometimes."
"Would you two cheer up?" Peter said disgustedly.
"But Pete," Ray objected. "We're finished! Kaput! End of the line!"
"Dethroned," added Jennifer gloomily.
"You're always so concerned about your reputation," said Peter to Ray. "Einstein did his best stuff when he was working as a patent clerk."
"You know how much a patent clerk earns?" Ray snapped back.
"No," Peter admitted.
"Personally I like the university," said Ray as he started to pace anxiously. "They gave us money and facilities, we didn't have to produce anything. You've never been out of college. You don't know what it's like out there! I've worked in the private sector - they expect results."
"What 'private sector' was that?" Jennifer asked curiously.
"Never you mind," said Ray, blushing a bit.
Peter stood up and put his arms around Ray and Jennifer's shoulders. "For whatever reasons; call it fate, call it luck, call it karma. I believe that everything happens for a reason. I believe that we were destined to get thrown out of this dump."
Jennifer looked at him curiously. "For what purpose?"
"To go into business for ourselves," said Peter dramatically.
Ray thoughtfully took a sip from Peter's flask. "This ecto-containment system that Spengler and I have in mind is gonna require a load of bread to capitalize. Where are we gonna get the money?"
Peter took back his flask from Ray and drank out of it himself. "I don't know," he said. "I don't know…"
Ray looked at Jennifer. "What about you? Are you in?"
Jennifer thought for a second. She barely knew any of these men. She didn't even really believe in ghosts until about an hour ago. She could be putting herself into a lot of danger. "Yeah, okay."
"You're never gonna regret this, Ray," said Peter, grinning like a Cheshire cat as the four of them walked out of the Manhattan City Bank, the Mortgage Center.
Ray stared despondently at the manila envelope in his hand. "My parents left me that house. I was born there!"
"You're not gonna lose the house, everybody has three mortgages nowadays," Jennifer assured him.
"But at nineteen percent? You didn't even bargain with the guy!" protested Ray, shooting Peter a death glare.
"Ray, for your information, the interest rate alone for the first five years comes ninety five thousand dollars," Egon piped up, showing Ray the dollar amount on his calculator.
"Will you guys relax?" sighed Peter. "We are on the threshold of establishing the indispensable defense science of the next decade: professional paranormal investigations and eliminations. The franchise rights alone will make us rich beyond our wildest dreams."
"Or get us thrown in the psych ward," muttered Jennifer ominously.
"What did I tell ya?" said Peter, looking around the ancient looking firehouse. "Isn't this place perfect?"
"This place is a dump," corrected Jennifer, kicked some trash with her foot. "I wouldn't let my cat live here."
"Hey, hey, hey," said Peter. "Let's not be negative. A little paint, a touch of elbow grease, and we'll have this place in top condition."
"You've got to be kidding. Martha Stewart couldn't fix this place!"
Peter ignored her and turned to Egon. "Alright, brainiac. You know the plan, right?"
Egon nodded. "Oh Lord," moaned Jennifer, clapping herself in the forehead. "He has a plan. This can't be good."
Peter glared at her. "Your part of the plan is to be quiet."
Jennifer glared back. At that moment, the real estate agent walked in. "Hello," she said, warmly. "So have you had a chance to look around?"
"Yes we have," said Peter, just as friendly.
The agent looked at her file and read from it. "There's office space, sleeping quarters and showers on the next floor, and there's a full kitchen on the top level."
"It just seems a little pricey for a unique fixer-upper opportunity, that's all," said Peter politely. He looked at Egon meaningfully. "What do you think, Egon?"
"I think this building should be condemned," Egon replied, pretending to appraise the place. "There's metal fatigue in all the load-bearing members, the wiring is substandard; it's completely inadequate for our power needs, and the neighborhood is like a demilitarized zone."
The real estate agent looked at Jennifer quizzically. Jennifer shrugged and rolled her eyes, as if to say, I don't know either, lady.
Suddenly there was a shout of "Hey!" from the ceiling. Peter, Egon, Jennifer, and the sales lady all looked up to Ray standing at the hole where the fireman's pole was.
"Does this pole still work?" Ray asked excitedly. Without waiting for an answer, he straddled the pole and came sliding down it. "Wow!" he exclaimed as his feet hit the floor. "This place is great! When can we move in? You've gotta try this pole! I'm gonna get my stuff!"
Ray took off for the door. "Hey!" he said, a thought occurring to him. "We should stay here, tonight. Sleep here. You know, to try it out!"
As Ray dashed out, the sales lady smirked at Egon and Peter, who at the moment looked like fools. Peter painfully smiled back at the agent, saying, "I think we'll take it."
Jennifer grinned at Egon. They both knew they were all headed on a wild adventure.
